


beneath the branches of a sweet plum tree

by magichistorian



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Spirits, F/F, Fluff, Japanese Mythology & Folklore, Romance, Youkai
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-25
Updated: 2019-12-25
Packaged: 2021-02-26 00:54:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 10,896
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21944683
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/magichistorian/pseuds/magichistorian
Summary: After meeting the beautiful spirit Shimizu Kiyoko, who promises her hand if Yachi can find her, Yachi Hitoka visits the nearby forest, home to countless youkai, befriending each one she meets as she searches for her true love.
Relationships: Akaashi Keiji/Bokuto Koutarou, Aone Takanobu/Futakuchi Kenji, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Shimizu Kiyoko/Yachi Hitoka, Tsukishima Kei/Yamaguchi Tadashi
Comments: 12
Kudos: 79





	beneath the branches of a sweet plum tree

**Author's Note:**

> Merry Christmas! This isn't really the most festive of fics, but I hope you guys enjoy it regardless! I have been working on this on and off for a long time, so I'm really happy to finally get to post this.
> 
> I did a lot of research while writing this, but I am not Japanese, and the internet is not always correct. So if I have something wrong, I will gladly fix it!

  
  
1.   
  
"Yachi!" Her mother called out.    
  
Yachi peered around the corner to her mother, where she was sitting on her stool. A basket sat on her lab, the peels from the potato in her hand landing with a quiet sound.    
  
"Yes?"   
  
Her mother reached out her hand holding the knife to gesture at the basket in the corner of the room. "Would you go pick some plums? They would go nicely as dessert."   
  
Yachi nodded, grabbed the basket and skipped out the door into the back yard. She called a greeting to their two cows and tossed a small handful of dried corn at the chickens dancing about. They all ran to it, clucking as they went.    
  
She grabbed their tallest stool and ran over to their plum tree, the spring sun leaving them perfect for picking. She climbed onto the stool and left the basket on the ground so she could drop them in as she picked. After a few minutes, the sound of plums hitting the wicker changed to a more muted sound as the bottom was covered in fruit.    
  
"Those look lovely." A gentle voice spoke.    
  
Startled, Yachi looked behind her and ended up slipping off the stool. She groaned in pain as her hands and knees landed in the dirt.    
  
The other voice gasped a little and Yachi could hear footsteps. She looked up and her jaw dropped in awe. The woman peering down at her in concern was the most beautiful person she had ever seen in her whole life.    
  
She had stunning, bright eyes and her black hair, brushed across one shoulder, was incredibly thick and shiny.    
  
Her black kimono looked brand new, the white obi too fancy and far too clean to belong to any farmer.    
  
Yachi's, comparatively, was a faded gray, only a long ribbon tying it. Across the knees, dirt had smeared- crap.    
  
"Oh no! I got it dirty, mom is going to kill me!"   
  
The other woman smiled. "Let me."   
  
She ran her hand over the mud, the streaks immediately wiping off like they were only dry specks. Yachi stared in amazement. Their eyes met and the other woman smiled.    
  
"I-I'm Yachi!" She finally said.    
  
"Hello, Yachi. My name is Kiyoko. Shimizu Kiyoko."   
  
"That is a very pretty name! You are too! You're the most beautiful person I have ever met!"    
  
Kiyoko looked surprised, and Yachi flushed.    
  
"Sorry." She muttered.    
  
"Don't be. That's very kind of you."   
  
Yachi wanted to spend the rest of her life with that woman.    
  
"You aren't from around here, are you? Your clothes are so nice!"   
  
Kiyoko looked startled. When she didn't answer, a piece clicked.    
  
"You're a youkai!" She gasped.    
  
"Um, yes," Her face looked even prettier when she blushed. "I live with all of my friends in the forest just beyond your land."   
  
The tall trees peaking far above their heads a few dozen yards behind Kiyoko suddenly gave off a strange new aura. There had been all sorts of spirits living there all this time and she had no clue.    
  
"I saw your plum tree," she continued. "I wanted to taste one. But then you came out. But you seemed like you would enjoy the company, and I guess I was right. By the way, your clip is quite pretty."   
  
Yachi unconsciously reached up to the silver clip pulling back a bit of hair on the side.    
  
"It's from my mother."   
  
"It is beautiful."   
  
Yachi agreed, and then, before any sense had the chance to stop her, she blurted, "Would you kindly please go on a date with me?"   
  
As soon as the words came out and shock covered Kiyoko's expression, Yachi wanted to die. Why did she say that?   
  
But then Kiyoko laughed a little and brandished a small brush from nowhere.    
  
"Come find me. If the forest accepts you, I have no doubt we will meet again." She wrote out beautiful lines of ink across Yachi's palm, the writing spelling out "Shimizu Kiyoko" once she had finished.    
  
"This will guide you as long as you need it." She traced her finger along it, but the ink didn't smudge.   
  
With a smile and a last look, she was gone.    
  
Yachi gazed over to the forest and knew what she had to do.    
  
Scooping up the basket of plums, she ran back to the house and left the basket by the door.    
  
"I'm going out to the forest," she exclaimed.    
  
Barely looking up, her mother nodded and muttered some sort of agreement. Yachi bolted back out and towards the forest's opening.   
  
2.   
  
Yachi peered nervously into the woods. The trees were all cast in darkness, and the branches she could see reached out like clawing limbs. She had always been told to stay wary of forests like that, they were full of spirits.    
  
But...   
  
Yachi glanced down at the un-smeared paint on her palm, gracefully spelling a name she couldn't read, yet knew by heart. She had to find that woman.    
  
Filled with a sudden surge of courage, Yachi burst forward into the forest.   
  
Passing the first line of trees, a warm breeze blew through her. When she looked at her surroundings again, Yachi gasped. The uneven ground covered in an indiscriminate mass of brush and tree roots, the dark shadows, and the long branches reaching out like clawed hands were gone. Instead, golden sunlight filtered through the spring foliage, gently arching over a neat stone pathway, weathered in a charming sort of way.    
  
A few dozen paces ahead of her the road split; a lantern rested atop a pole in the center of the crossroads. Despite the wind, the light barely flickered.    
  
So this was what magic was like.    
  
Yachi kept walking, past the lantern and straight along the path.    
  
A short way farther, something gray came into view in the middle of the path, just far enough that she couldn’t tell what it was. After a few more minutes of walking toward it, she could tell it was an iron gate. There were no fences attached to it; the gate spanned merely the width of the path. Curious, Yachi walked a little faster to reach it.    
  
A few moments later, she was only several feet away, its height more apparent at her proximity. She blinked, and the gate was gone. In its place was a young man; tall, brunet, handsome, dressed in a green robe.    
  
"What?" She gasped. "Where did- Who are you?”   
  
"Pleasure to meet ya.” He smiled cheerfully. “I am the outer iron gate. You can call me Futakuchi. I make sure only those who are allowed to come through. It may seem like it would be easy to get past me but I can assure you that if I so wished, you'd never leave. "   
  
She blinked, his pleasant tone surprisingly relaxing despite his threatening words.    
  
"H-hello. I'm Yachi Hitoka."   
  
He bowed politely and she quickly reciprocated.    
  
"So, what brings a cute little human like you here? I haven’t seen one of your people in years. You seem like someone who has lived a safe life. But I know you wouldn't be coming through me if you wanted to stay outside where there are humans. Where it’s safe. "   
  
The way he said the last word sent shivers through her. "I....I'm looking for someone."   
  
He nodded as if that answered all he wished to know. He stepped to the side and the forest behind him became clear. She hadn't noticed before, but until he moved, the entire forest behind him was blurred.    
  
After she passed through she looked over her shoulder and saw only a simple iron gate.    
  
She continued on.    
  
Bushes next to Yachi rustled. She squeaked and jumped back. From both sides, two men emerged, wearing only a fundoshi and a single geta sandal each. They landed, partially crouched, as if in a defensive stance. They were both tall and rather fit.    
  
When they saw her, the two straightened and stared. Their eyes were narrowed, gazing at her intently.   
  
Then their faces brightened. The first one, bald, stepped forward. Yachi noticed his sandal was broken.    
  
“Hello, miss! Let us come to your house!” Yachi’s eyes widened in shock. What would she say to that-   
  
“Tanaka!” The other exclaimed. He was mostly bald, but the top of his head had a long stripe of blonde hair. “You don't say it like that! Be more manly about it! Woo her!”   
  
He grinned and also walked up to Yachi with his broken geta. His sandal was on the opposite foot.    
  
“Hello, miss! We want to visit your house! You are very cute!”   
  
She stared at them, confused halfway to the sun. Why did they want to come to her house? She knew better than to let a person into her home, and she knew that was doubly so when it came to spirits. Because letting a spirit into a household meant much more than merely a polite gesture. Then-    
  
Broken sandal. Little clothing. Wanting to enter her house.    
  
“Ah! You two are Binbōgami!” She exclaimed in realization. Gods of poverty who would trick people into letting them into their homes, then cursing them with poverty abject as their own.    
  
The two froze.    
  
“Dammit, Tora! She won’t give us stuff now!”   
  
Tora glared at Tanaka. “Yeah, cause of you!”   
  
The two continued to glare at each other and spit out various insults that had stopped making any sense.    
  
“Hey!” Yachi shouted as loud as she could. “Calm down!”   
  
They froze and faced her. Yachi reached into her pocket and smiled when she found what she was looking for. She brandished two small coins.    
  
“Here. One for each.” The two beamed and reached out their cupped palms like children hoping for candy.    
  
She dropped the coins into their palms, but the coins instantly shriveled up, no longer shiny and smooth, but lumpy and black. The two pouted. They seemed disappointed, but not entirely surprised.    
  
“We are gods of poverty, after all,” Tora said as some sort of self-consolation.    
  
“Yeah. we don't get rich. We just make other people also not rich.” Tanaka agreed.   
  
“Oh yeah!” Yachi remembered. “Do you guys know of a woman named Kiyoko? Shimizu Kiyoko?”   
  
She extended her palm out to them, showing the name inked there.    
  
Their eyes lit up.    
  
“Of course we know her!” Tora shouted. “She’s only the most beautiful woman in the whole forest!”   
  
“Yeah!” Tanaka agreed, “And she’s never accepted any suitors, so everyone is always to court her! I tried so many times but she always says no...”   
  
She didn’t accept suitors? That meant she was going to refuse her? What was she doing there then?    
  
“But,” he continued, “She marked you! That is so cool! I’ve tried so many times but she always blows me off.” Tanaka turned away, and Yachi was pretty sure he was pouting.   
  
“Marking me? You mean this?”   
  
She pointed at her palm, and Tora nodded. “You have a good chance then, Miss. The fact that she did that surely means she likes you. You are lucky.”   
  
He held her palm still and placed his shriveled, black coin into it. He gave her a small smile, and let her hand fall.    
  
She slipped the coin into her pocket.    
  
“Maybe Saeko knows where Kiyoko-san is?” Tora said as he turned back to Tanaka.    
  
“Oh, yeah!” Tanaka straightened his arm out in front of his body. He ran his thumb along the bare skin, and black lines formed, swirling into delicate cursive she didn’t imagine him making.    
  
He was writing a name, Yachi realized.    
  
When he finished, Tanaka raised his hand. As he did, the lines peeled off of his skin and fluttered up past the trees like the wings of a butterfly. His arm remained extended, for minutes, barely long enough for Yachi to begin to get impatient.    
  
It returned then to his hand, but instead of laying back on his skin like ink, it burst into water as it touched his finger and dripped in dark spots onto the path.    
  
Where they landed, a woman stood. Her eyes were fierce and her hair was blonde, even shorter than Yachi’s. Her clothes were short and pure white.    
  
“Saeko-chan!” The two exclaimed.    
  
She laughed. The few clouds in the sky faded.   
  
“Hello, boys. What can I do for you?”    
  
“You wouldn’t happen to know where the lovely Shimizu Kiyoko is, would you?” Tora asked hopefully.    
  
“Why? So you guys can harass her some more?” Saeko asked, incredulous.   
  
“No!” Tanaka exclaimed. “This young lady has made an impression on Kiyoko-san and now wishes to find her.”   
  
Saeko turned her attention to Yachi, scrutinizing every inch of her body. The sky seemed to darken a little.   
  
"So. You are the next in line to try to woo the poor woman. Why should I tell you anything?"    
  
Why should she? She was just another desperate lovebird trailing at her feet. But... Yachi has always been a pushover. She went along with anything, and it usually cost her whatever she wanted. But if she stood up for anything in her life, this felt like it was well deserving.    
  
"Because she told me she would accept my proposal if I could find her. And I have to find her." Hopefully, that made her seem cool and determined, not desperate.    
  
"Wow!" Saeko exclaimed, clapping together her hands. "Such passion! And you're so cute! Come with me, I know someone that may be able to help."    
  
She offered up her hand and Yachi took it, realizing in the back of her mind that this was probably her point of no return.    
  
The second their hands met, they shot up in the air with a loud gush of air, as well as possibly a loud scream from Yachi.    
  
Once they reached the tops of the trees they stopped, their feet now resting atop a very solid cloud. Saeko was peering over the edge, looking for something or someone. After a few moments, she must have found whoever she was looking for, because she straightened up and began shouting and waving her arms.    
  
A young man flew up to meet them. He had incredible crow-like wings, and the hair slicked back on his head looked like feathers.    
  
"Big sis!" He exclaimed. "What's up?"    
  
"Noya! Good to see you. Have you seen the lovely Kiyoko recently?"   
  
He frowned. "You know, I haven't! That's strange. I usually do. Why?"    
  
Saeko pointed at Yachi. "This young human lady is looking for her."   
  
"Oooh." He took her hand. "Here. I think I know somebody who might be able to help."   
  
Unfortunately, they were not getting lucky. Neither Noya's friend Yaku, not Yaku's friend Lev had seen her. Yachi feared they would do this all day, hopping from spirit to spirit until they realized nobody in the entire forest could find her and she would have to go home.    
  
As they cycled through everybody and their friends, she was introduced to a Bakeneko named Kuroo.    
  
He grinned at her from the tree he was perched in. "Looking for Kiyoko, eh?"    
  
He turned to the light brown cat next to him in the tree and whispered, "Hey, Kenma. How long do you think I should drag her around until I tell her I have no clue where the lady is?"   
  
Unfortunately, he didn't whisper very quietly, so Yachi heard him clearly.    
  
"Hey! If you don't know where she is, tell me. Do not send me on a wild goose chase, asshole!" She fumed, of course, the spirits were getting a kick out of tormenting her. It was infuriating!    
  
Kuroo grinned his teasing smile again. "Oooh, she's feisty."    
  
The other cat gave him what looked surprisingly like a glare for a cat and jumped down. Except when it landed, it became another young man. His hair looked like a flan, and it took a lot of willpower to not point it out.    
  
"Sorry about him," the not-so cat told her. "He loves messing around but he means no harm. Come with me." He started walking away. As he did, Kuroo jumped out the tree.    
  
"Hey! Kenma!" He pouted. "You're no fun!" Kenma ignored him and kept walking. Yachi followed.    
  
"If anybody knows, my friend Shoyo can tell you where to find her. Hopefully."    
  
Well, that sounded good. Hopefully was more than she'd been getting. She followed, Kuroo trailing behind.    
  
3.   
  
The trio came to an open clearing, the gap in the trees wide enough that they could clearly see the bright sun shining down on them.    
  
Kenma moved to stand where the sun was its brightest and started...waving at the sun. It was quite particular, but she did not need to be in the forest for a long time to learn one very important lesson: do not question the strange things spirits do.    
  
And sure enough, a dark spot came in front of the sun that soon enough showed itself to a falling body. She had just enough time to be concerned and notice that it was close enough to the ground for her to pick out features -smaller, bright orange hair- when a black blur to her left caught her attention. What was most certainly a crow when it first appeared, became a tall young man in dark clothes keeping only the wings.    
  
Just in time, he swooped in and caught the falling figure. He circled toward the ground, already giving a harsh lecture she couldn't make out. Something about sun gods needing to learn how to fly.    
  
They finally landed showing themselves in all of their glory. The one with the orange hair was probably her size, and the only thing brighter than his hair was the yukata he wore, that was so bright she couldn't imagine it was woven with anything other than threads of pure sunlight. Even looking too long at them left fuzzy spots in her vision, so she trained her gaze on the other.    
  
His large black wings and matching black yukata were in stark contrast to his friend. When she looked closer, she could tell the straight hair was really just feathers! With that, she wondered if he was some bird spirit, like a raven or a crow.    
  
Kenma poked her with a paw-like hand. "These are Hinata and Kageyama. They are my friends, and her friends, and if Kiyoko is underneath our sun they will find her."    
  
She bowed deeply. "Thank you very much."    
  
The small one, Hinata, grinned when she straightened. "Did you really catch the eye of the one and only Shimizu Kiyoko? Incredible!"    
  
That sent a hot flush to Yachi's cheeks. "You think so?" She said, a little quiet.    
  
"Absolutely!" He bowed, not as deep as her, and said, "I'm Hinata, the guardian of the sun in our forest!"   
  
"Just the forest?"    
  
"Yep! The sun that shines on other spirits is guarded by other spirits."   
  
"I see." She didn't completely get it, but he clearly understood it himself, so it was not worth too much thought.    
  
"And this is Kageyama! He is the Crow and always catches me since I can't fly." He pauses for a beat and turns to Kuroo and Kenma. "Thank you for guiding her to me. I hope to see you two soon."   
  
The two nodded and vanished into the nearest tree. Kageyama also muttered something about work to do and fluttered away, back to his body of a crow in seconds.    
  
"So..." Hinata smiled coyly. "How does such a human catch the attention of the most well-sought woman in the entire forest?"   
  
"I really don't know, to be entirely honest. I met her when I was picking plums this morning. I lost my mind for a minute and told her she was beautiful and then she wrote this," she showed him her palm, "and vanished. But I've been thinking over the last few hours. Nobody has been able to find her and..maybe it's not worth it." Yachi muttered, slouching over. "She probably doesn't actually want me. She just was being nice."   
  
"Are you kidding?" Hinata gasped. "She gave you her  _ name _ ! That's, like, a huge deal! She's been denying suitors for hundreds of years. If she really didn't like you, she would never have given you a chance. She's only ever had one other lover."   
  
"She's dated someone else?" Yachi grimaced.    
  
Hinata looked at her like she was crazy. "She's been around for centuries! Once is like nothing!"   
  
He rested his chin in his hands, an exaggerated look of thought plastered on his face.    
  
Suddenly, he jumped up into the air. "I got it! You have to go talk to Bokuto!"   
  
"Who?"   
  
"Bokuto!" He looked at her like that was supposed to mean something to her, but quickly realized it didn't. "He's a spirit. And he made Akaashi fall in love with him! Akaashi turned down every suitor with a cold hand -and he had lots of suitors, he's so pretty- but Bokuto never gave up and another they're madly in love! I'm sure he could help. If he could woo Akaashi you can definitely woo Kiyoko!"    
  
He sounded a little out of breath after talking that fast, and Yachi wondered if he had remembered to breathe.    
  
"Oh-okay!" She grinned, a little confidence returning. She could do this!   
  
4.   
  
"Bokuto! Akaashi!" Hinata shouted, his hands cupped in front of his mouth. They had been walking around this section of the forest for some time and she was beginning to feel like maybe this guy was delusional. It was awkward, shouting at people that wouldn't respond. She wasn't actually shouting, but Hinata was, and that was plenty awkward.    
  
"Komi?" He tried.    
  
"...Konoha?" Hinata turned to Yachi, whispering, "I didn't really want to call him. He's weird."   
  
"Well, that is very rude!" A voice shouted. Hinata rolled his eyes and slumped dramatically.    
  
"Of course the weird one answers!" He turns around, Yachi following. To match the voice was a tall man, blonde, with thin eyes. He had a large cloak draped over his body. It was a lovely tawny color, decorated with pale flecks and bands. Looking closer, it seemed to be made of feathers.    
  
"Try me, shrimp. I'll kick your ass." Hinata bristled, hands starting to glow a little, and Yachi cringed. She did not need to see a fight between two powerful, magical, forest spirits.    
  
She opened her mouth to attempt some sort of intervention, but another voice beat her to it.    
  
"What are you two doing?" All three swiveled their heads up in unison.    
  
Perched on a lower hanging tree branch was another young man. He wore a similar cloak, and his creamy robes peeked out from underneath it. Resting atop his dark curls was a delicate band of shiny copper.   
  
Every detail of his fine features screamed elegance and control.    
  
He jumped down, the cloak fluttering out like the great wings of an owl. He landed lightly, the tip of one toe first, then the heel, and his other foot last. Both were bare.    
  
"Akaashi!" Both men exclaimed. Hinata excitedly, Konoha far more guilty.    
  
"Good afternoon." He smiled at Yachi, then glanced at the other two. "It's rude to fight in front of guests."    
  
The two bowed lightly, then followed the other man -Akaashi- down a path she had not yet noticed. Maybe it wasn't there before.    
  
She took a step toward tentatively until Hinata noticed and beckoned her forward. She took his hand and walked forward.    
  
The pathway was not long at all, opening up rather fast to an old shrine. From the path, it seemed old and dilapidated. Long forgotten. But when she passed the threshold that likely was once bound by a ribbon, her vision rippled and it resumed its new appearance. Paint stopped peeling, wood ceased to creak, and empty walls hung scrolls and tassels. A small chime appeared too, tinkling softly in the light breeze.    
  
They all walked in. The room was small, but well decorated with a large assortment of scrolls Yachi could not understand. The floor was covered in tatami mats, and in the middle of the room sat a table, and a man sitting at it.    
  
His hair streaked both black and an off-white. It reminded Yachi of a horned owl. He was leaned back, on one hand, his cloak hardly hanging on. The front of his grey robes was loosened, revealing collarbones and powerful shoulders. The sleeves covered most of his arms, but the musculature was hardly hidden. His free hand held a half-empty bottle of sake.    
  
Akaashi joined him, kneeling on the other side of the table. That caught the other man's attention.    
  
"Akaashi! You're back!"    
  
Akaashi smiled calmly, but his eyes were warm and affectionate. "Isn't it a little early for drinking, Bokuto-san?"   
  
Bokuto laughed. "You're funny," he said, making his point by taking another swig. "I'm not having too much."   
  
Hinata, clearly uninterested in waiting any longer, burst across the room to Bokuto. Yachi grimaced, worried that the other man was going to smite him or something. But instead, when he saw Hinata, Bokuto jumped up in excitement, the gleeful smile on his face a mirror image of Hinta's. The sake bottle flew from his hands, saved only by Akaashi's quick reflexes.    
  
Something told Yachi that he was used to that.    
  
"Buddy!" Bokuto exclaimed. "What brings you here?"    
  
"Oh, you'll never believe!" Hinata bounced up and down, his golden robes hardly fluttering. "That human girl, over there? Kiyoko marked her! And as soon as we find her, they're going to live happily ever after!"   
  
Bokuto stared at her in excitement. "That's amazing! She's a tough nut! Just like Akaashi!"    
  
"Um," Yachi butted in. "That's why we're here. To see if you could help me find her."   
  
Hearing that, Bokuto's eyes lit up. "Absolutely!" He sat back down at the table, urging Hinata and Yachi to do the same.    
  
Akaashi offered Yachi a cup of tea and she accepted, noticing the cup had not been there before. As she sipped, Bokuto energetically recounted his romantic endeavors.    
  
Akaashi had been the recipient of countless courtship offers, being both attractive and a powerful spirit. Yet, for centuries, he refused everyone. Most were deterred and eventually gave up. More recently, another owl spirit learned of Akaashi and became smitten. That was Bokuto, and no matter how many times Akaashi told him he didn't know what he was asking for, Bokuto never gave up. Eventually, he caved. They have been happily wedded for decades.    
  
It was rather romantic, Yachi agreed. But how was she supposed to convince someone she couldn't find?    
  
As she sat pondering, Bokuto jumped up, claiming he was hungry. Hinata followed, and they ran off to find something to eat. With them both gone, it was just her and Akaashi. The room was silent, but not awkward. After a few more minutes, she finally spoke up.    
  
"What eventually changed your mind?" Yachi asked. Akaashi blinked, staring at her. Just before she decided he wasn't going to say anything, he started talking.    
  
"I'm not entirely sure. I think it was that I realized Bokuto was serious. Everybody gave up pretty fast, you know? I decided that they must not have wanted to marry me so badly if they gave up so easily. But Bokuto swore up and down he didn't just think I was pretty, that he really enjoyed my company."   
  
"And that's why you didn't accept any of the others."   
  
"Yes. Well, partially I never found anyone I liked. But what I was really afraid of was that I would eventually fall in love and they would realize I wasn't good enough, that's all I was was a pretty face. Maybe the reason she's holding off on you is to make sure her heart isn't going to get broken."   
  
"Oh." That hadn't occurred to her.   
  
"So I think the best thing you can do is prove you mean it. Don't let her down, if she's finally decided to put her faith in somebody."    
  
Yachi nodded. "I won't."   
  
Just then Bokuto and Hinata returned, Bokuto clutching a basket of plums.    
  
Akaashi took one and after examining it, handed it to Yachi. It was perfect, just soft enough and the richest shade of purple.    
  
"The plum trees out back make the most lovely fruit. Please, take this. And good luck."   
  
He smiled, his eyes bright and the light framing him perfectly. She could tell why he had been so popular. But she had eyes for only one woman. And she would find her.    
  
"Thank you." She pocketed the plum, bowed, and left.    
  
5.   
  
Yachi gazed at the sky, the sun dropping lower and lower in the sky. Shadows shifted and faded, now a faint halo on the ground. Then, a young man walked past her along the same stone path she was following, apparently completely unaware of her presence.    
  
Or he was ignoring her.    
  
"Um, hello?" She called out, jogging to catch up to him. His steady pace ceased, and he turned to look at her. His face was young and his eyes were large like he was nervous. His face was dusted with freckles that looked like dim stars. His dark hair framed his face and the back stuck up in a cowlick.   
  
His kimono reminded her of the approaching sky. The fabric around his shoulders and down towards his chest was a deep blue, adorned with light speckles matching the ones on his face. As the blue ended, it shifted slowly to a purple along his sleeves and his waist. The ends of his sleeves and the creased fabric above the black obi were a far redder color. Below the obi, the fabric was a glowing orange streaked with a lighter gray and white color that must be clouds. The fabric above his ankles faded to a soft yellow. On his feet were geta sandals. Despite the soil on the ground, they were perfectly clean. If she looked carefully enough, the streaks seemed to float and the stars seemed to twinkle.    
  
Yachi gasped softly. "Are you Dusk?"    
  
He smiled softly. "That's right. I am guiding the sky into nighttime. As I walk through the forest, the sun will go down and the night will follow me. Once I reach the west boundary, the sun will be asleep and it will be night."   
  
"But what about the rest of the world? The sun will have not set there."    
  
"True," he smiled, glancing down. "But the world outside our forest does not exist for us. If I cannot see the sun, then it is gone."   
  
"Oh." She stared at her feet.    
  
"I must continue. Would you like to join me?" He reached out a hand.   
  
"What is your name?" she asked, not yet taking his hand.    
  
"Tadashi."    
  
She accepted his hand. "Your name means loyalty. That makes sense."    
  
Beginning his steady pace once again, he looked over at her. "Why do you say that?"   
  
She stared ahead, gazing at the orange glow of the sky. Their path was through a gap in the trees, and the light gleamed bright enough that it almost seems like the sun was leading their path like it was waiting for them to arrive. Perhaps it was ready to sleep. "It is a very loyal thing to do, guiding the moon every night as you do. Why do you do it? Is it not great work?"   
  
"It is." He agreed. "But when I am done, I can see the moon."   
  
He said nothing more, but as they walked, Yachi could see a softer smile on his face, as if he was thinking of someone he cared a lot for.    
  
Looking over, she noticed the color on his robes had lowered. Only a rich shade of violet colored the fabric over the obi, and she was sure there had been orange before.    
  
The sky above her had also changed, and she realized then that the glittering darkness spilling across the sky was exactly in line with Tadashi. It almost seemed like he was slowly pulling a blanket over the whole forest.    
  
After some time of walking, the sun had become barely visible. The horizon was fairly pink, but quickly melted into purple and then a blue so dark it seems almost black.    
  
Another few minutes and the pink was gone.    
  
Tadashi stopped. He glanced once more up at the sky, then turned around. Yachi followed suit and jumped when she saw a man facing them. He was tall, with short curly blond hair. His golden eyes and chilly expression sent a shiver down her back. Tadashi, however, wore an affectionate smile as he gazed at the other.    
  
"It's a lovely evening, Kei."    
  
The other man looked up and nodded.    
  
They both moved forward and met in the middle, embracing. She noticed then that Tadashi's kimono had lost all its color, and was entirely the starry blue that was previously only on his shoulders. He was matching with the other, the only difference being that Kei's obi was a bright creamy white, opposite to Tadashi's black.    
  
Just like the moon, she thought.    
  
"But when I am done, I can see the moon." Ah. Yachi understood.    
  
How romantic, she thought. The Night and Dusk. Meeting at the same point, endlessly, without fail.    
  
It sounded like a story her mother might have told her as a child when she couldn't sleep.   
  
Out of the corner of her eye, Yachi noticed a yellow glow. She turned and saw a haze of fireflies appearing, slowly weaving around them and dancing through the leaves of the trees.    
  
Fireflies. Kei. How fitting.    
  
Tadashi let out a giggle, and Yachi looked over. One of the fireflies had landed on Kei's face. He attempted to look at it, but he only made himself look foolish, and gave up.    
  
Tadashi leaned up, his heels just leaving the ground, to press his forehead against Kei's. The startled firefly quickly flew away and mingled into the dozens of others sprinkled all over the area.    
  
Yachi wondered if the entire forest was full of them. It felt as though all the stars in the sky had dropped from the heavens to celebrate the nightly reunion.    
  
Their embrace shifted, their hands slipping from each other's backs to meet between them. Tadashi blushed, making his face seem all the more like a dusky sky.   
  
Kei stared at Tadashi, his expression more neutral, but his eyes equally loving. He leaned over, pressing a quick kiss to Tadashi's lips. He blushed again, and Yachi turned to leave.    
  
This was their moment, not hers.    
  
6.   
  
Turning away and walking back into the forest, Yachi caught a glimpse of light seeping through the trees to her left. Curious, she followed the path as it split that direction. As she grew closer, faint yet cheerful music and soft chatter permeated the languid buzz of insects and crickets. her footsteps gently clicked on the stones and a placid wind that somehow did not bring a chill silently fluttered her hair.    
  
Following the curve of the path, the source of the light became apparent. A glowing paper lantern hung from a pole sunk enough to into the ground to stay upright. When she approached it, it hung about eye level with her and she could see the flame flickering inside.    
  
Magic must be keeping it lit, she figured.    
  
The faint music became a little louder as Yachi walked, and she noticed the worn path stones slowly looking nicer and newer. None were cracked and they shone like they were brand new.    
  
Eventually, she reached a simple torii. Framing it was two more lanterns, one on each side. From her side, there was nothing beyond it but a continuous path slowly disappearing into the shadows of looming branches.    
  
Still, she hesitated to pass through. She could sense the magic there. It was clearly more than just a simple decorative gate. The red painted wood waited patiently. It's inviting presence seemed to have no ill intent, so she took a deep breath and walked through   
  
Instead of the decaying path on the other side, her surroundings became what was clearly a summer festival.   
  
The path, once again shiny and new, stretched out ahead of her and to both sides. Along the paths sat rows of stands on each side. They were all emitting a golden-red light from the red lamp covers that altered some of the lights. They were spaced out enough that the wide cone of illuminated ground from the nearest stand slightly overlapped the one next to it. She could smell all sorts of food. A spicy tang, a savory she could practically taste, and the sweetness of fried bread filled the air, the faint breeze spreading the scent.    
  
But they all lay empty, bare of even an owner. She stepped along the path, looking at the stands. Most had a banner above the stand. But no matter how long she looked, the familiar characters could not form words she knew.   
  
Looking over the counters, she could see meat frying, soup boiling, flavored ice chilling, even a tank of goldfish and a small net.    
  
I could eat my fill, she thought. There is nobody here.    
  
But she knew better.    
  
Down one of the paths, she could see stone steps, likely leading up to a shrine. Small pink petals littered the steps, and looking up, Yachi could see a pair of large cherry trees arching over the top of the stairs.    
  
She walked over and went up the stairs. The breeze picked up, and blossom petals rained down on her. One whole flower fluttered into her palm.    
  
This must be a sign, Yachi thought. I'll save it and give it to Shimizu when I find her!    
  
She looked back at her palm, the ink still only a little faded.    
  
"I will find you," she whispered. "I will."   
  
Reaching the top, Yachi saw she was right. At the end of a small pathway sat a large shrine with an offering box in front of it.    
  
Also in front of it was a cluster of people. Perhaps ten of them, all dressed in yukata.   
  
They were all talking and laughing, small cups of sake in all their hands. In the center of their circle, several sake bottles sat, some empty and laying on their side.   
  
While most of them were sitting on the path or in the grass, one man was reclining atop the shrine's steps, a fan in one hand and alcohol in the other. Petals were sprinkled in his wavy chocolate hair and on his blue yukata. The robe had been folded less tightly, and the top half of his chest was bare.    
  
The man next to him dressed in gray sipped his drink and Yachi could see his incredibly muscular figure. Not someone to fight. Though it wasn't exactly like she was able to fight any of the rest of them either.   
  
The next one had his back to her, but his hair was dark and curly. Leaning on his shoulder was another man, his short hair a light pinkish color. They matched, both wearing a light turquoise yukata.    
  
Another was laying on his side, his head resting on the leg of a man whose hair stuck up like a shallot.    
  
A blonde man with black lines cut into his hair shouted something at the man next to him in gray, and several laughed. One last man with shaved hair finished the circle. A handful more lay scattered around talking to each other, but they weren't part of the circle.    
  
Suddenly, the first one looked up and noticed Yachi. His bright eyes pierced through her, and hardly a second later he was standing tall in front of her, his drink replaced with a lantern on a long pole and his silver fan up to his face. His eyes stared into hers like he knew everything about her.    
  
"Hello, child." His voice was light and soft, but each sound hung in the air. "Are you here to pray?"   
  
Mutely, she nodded and he turned, walking toward the shrine. His pole clicked on the stone; any footsteps he had were masked by the rustling of wind dancing through the petals of the cherry blossoms.    
  
She and her mother had, of course, gone to a shrine many times. But this one was far nicer, more like the ones in town that they rarely visited due to the distance. She had always felt more connected to nature, to the spiritual world at shrines. Here, where she really was in the world of spirits, she could barely compare the amount of magic she felt.    
  
Yachi stopped quickly at the Temizuya, then rang the bell. She reached into her pocket tentatively, unsure if she still had any coins. But when she pulled out her hand, there was an untarnished five yen coin on her palm. She dropped it in the box, and bowed, clapped, and bowed again.    
  
When she straightened, the man was standing next to her. "Thank you, child," he said. "Nobody prays here anymore,"    
  
"Are you the deity of the shrine?" Yachi asked.    
  
He replied with a wink. "Unfortunately not. While I can be prayed to here, this shrine is guarded by another. Nice to meet you. My name is Oikawa."    
  
She bowed politely. At the call of one of his friends, he walked back over, saying something that made them all laugh at him. As he did that, Yachi turned and looked at the ema.    
  
She felt his presence behind her, so she turned to ask, "Why are there so few? People make wishes far more often than this."   
  
He sighed, his eyes downshot. "I...I cannot grant wishes. I am considered a fortune deity, however, I give people diligence and fortitude. I do not make wishes come true, but I can help somebody achieve the wish themself. Unfortunately, people today are lazy. They want everything done for them. They can't understand what it's like to succeed through genuine hard work anymore. It's so unfair! Everybody likes assholes like Ushijima better."    
  
Yachi had heard the name Ushijima before. That was the name of a well-known fortune deity that had recently come to popularity. It was strange to think that even gods and spirits had rivalries. She had sort of assumed they were above that.    
  
"If this isn't your shrine, why are you guys here?" She asked.    
  
"Is there not a festival here tonight?" He said with a wink. "However, it is late, and I believe humans need to sleep when it is night. Isn't that right?"    
  
"That's right."    
  
"As as you have to sleep, we have to make our way home. I suppose this is where we part," he said. Then, from somewhere he produced a red cord.    
  
"Here." When he reached out his hand, Yachi did as well. He took her wrist in his hand and tied it into a neat bow.    
  
"Sleep here tonight. The shrine will keep you safe." With those last words, he joined his friends as they were leaving.    
  
Weird as it may sound, she was sure the festival was leaving with them. The lights in the stalls they passed went out, and the wood became rotten and sagging. The lanterns went out, and the stones in the path cracked and worn down. The only thing remaining when they passed through the torii, which was visible from the top of the hill, was the shrine. So she took Oikawa's advice and curled up the best she could by the shrine. Whatever it was, she slept far sounder than she had in quite a long time that night.    
  
7.   
  
When Yachi opened her eyes again, the first thing she saw was a face. A very pissed off face.    
  
"Eeek!!" She let out a squeak and jumped back as best as she could, her heart jackhammering.    
  
The figure stood up, still glaring at her. Yachi attempted to scoot away again, but her back hit a wall and she froze, sweat prickling her forehead.    
  
The man moved forward, his blonde hair catching the light and glowing gold. He wore a white kosode and a dark navy hakama behind which a fluffy tail peeked. His hair blended into a pair of ears Yachi guessed were those of a fox. Great. She had managed to anger a fox spirit.   
  
"What did you do?" He growled.    
  
"W-what did I do?"    
  
"Yes!" He barked. "Where is he?"   
  
"I have no idea what you’re talking about!"   
  
He glared down at her, definitely unconvinced, until another form jumped down from somewhere, landing on the post right next to the first man.    
  
"Oh? Who's this?" He was dressed the same, except his kosode was black. When he looked over at her, she realized his face was identical to the first. Twins. Only his hair, gray instead of blonde, was different.    
  
"You think she took Kita-san? Look at her. She isn't kidnapping anybody."   
  
The first's glare shifted. "Shut up, Osamu!"    
  
Osamu chuckled. His eyes shifted to look at Yachi, and she did the only thing she could think of: run.   
  
She scrambled up, her hands pressing on the smooth wood for purchase, jumping down the steps and past the offering box. She veered around the side and ran through the grass behind the shrine, keenly aware of the now-animal foxes gleefully chasing after her.    
  
The sound of water caught her attention, and she ran toward it, amazed she had not yet been caught. The foxes were probably letting her tire herself out. She gave herself a split second to see how far back the foxes were when she tripped over something wood, falling face-first into the dirt.    
  
Sitting up, she saw it had been a basket, a pile of colorful cloth stacked in it. When she stood, panting, she saw more cloth hanging from branches. And to her left, next to the stream, sat another man.    
  
She was just remembering the two men she was supposed to be running for her life from when she heard a shout of two voices in unison.    
  
"Kita-san?!"    
  
Behind her, the two foxes skidded to a halt, suddenly back to their human forms.    
  
_"You think she took Kita-san?"_ That's what the fox had said. Was this who they meant?   
  
She looked over at the man sitting down. He was kneeling next to the stream, washing what appeared to be a large cloth square. Despite kneeling in the dirt, holding a soaking piece of fabric, his black and white hakama remained perfectly clean and dry.    
  
He stood, holding his cloth, and reached up to hang it on the tree. The blonde fox ran over, taking it from his hand and hanging it from the branch that was just a bit too high for the first one.    
  
"Ah, thank you, Atsumu."   
  
"Kita-san!" The man, Atsumu, wailed. "I couldn't find you!"    
  
Kita looked at him, a bit surprised and a bit amused. "I told you I was going to the stream to do laundry."   
  
Atsumu and Osamu stiffened.    
  
"You forgot."    
  
They nodded.    
  
"And why did you chase this poor girl all the way back here?" He lifted an eyebrow.   
  
They looked everywhere but at him, muttering out some attempt at an excuse.    
  
He laughed a little and Atsumu's ears perked up.    
  
"I'm sorry." He looked over at Yachi. "My friends are rather excitable."   
  
"It's no problem!" She squeaked, glancing at the twins from the corner of her eye. With Kita there, they were significantly less scary.    
  
Their predatory eyes and tensed forms that reminded her so much of their animalistic tendencies had melted away in the presence of Kita. Their eyes were softer and darting around in embarrassment.    
  
Kita had returned to his laundry, washing the last of his pile.    
  
"Would you like some help?" She offered. She knew some spirits would take offense at that, seeing it as an insinuation of their incompetence, but Kita seemed different, friendlier and understanding.    
  
He smiled. "Sure." He moved the basket to sit between them. She reached for a sheet and mimicked his process.    
  
He also seemed like someone who would accept help to make a job finish faster, if he weren't a spirit. She had come to realize they saw the flow of time as meaningless outside of what color the sky would be. Their lives were far too long to worry about how much of one day was spent doing the laundry.    
  
Soon enough everything was washed and hung in the trees. The boys had started working once Yachi did and would hang each finished garment.    
  
When they stood, Kita's hakama was still spotlessly clean. Her own was far less clean, though the darker fabric hid it well. That was partially why most people she knew favored it.    
  
Kita noticed, of course, and gently kneeled. He took the fabric in one hand and rubbed across it with the other. The grime instantly fell away, even where he didn't touch. When he was done she was clean, and the fabric was even a lighter color than it had ever been before, a dark tan rather than soil.    
  
He didn't seem to think much of the act, however, so she disregarded it the best she could as well.    
  
As an afterthought, he turned back to Yachi. "Would you be interested in joining us tonight? The foxes are dining and there will be a banquet. I promise," he gave a sharp look at the twins, "that you will not be chased this time."   
  
Yachi hesitated. A fox's banquet sounded exciting indeed, and she couldn't imagine how wonderful the food would be.    
  
But she was on a mission, and she couldn't afford to dawdle.    
  
"Sorry," she said with a deep bow, hoping to minimize the chance that the foxes would be so offended by her rejection that they might just chase her again. "But I have an engagement, so I must decline."   
  
She straightened a little nervously. The twins definitely looked a bit insulted, but Kita did not. He smiled politely and nodded.    
  
"I wish you well then," he said. Before he turned away, he reached into the folds of his kosode and pulled out a small piece of wood.    
  
"In case you wish to join us in the future," He explained, pressing it into Yachi's palm and turning away. The foxes' gaze lingered just a few moments longer, before leaving as well.    
  
When Yachi looked closer at it, she could see the shape of a fox carved into the body of the wood. She whispered an unheard thanks and tucked it back away.    
  
9.   
  
She left the shrine and walked west, towards the last part of the forest she had yet to visit. Throughout the whole morning and afternoon, she searched, asking every talking spirit she found. But each one gave the same answer: "I haven't seen her. Ask someone else."    
  
By the time the sun was nearing the horizon for the second time, she had just about given up. She continued along the path, not knowing what else she could do. Nobody knew where she was, her only chance anymore was running into her.   
  
Perhaps, she had just been an idiot. Did she really think she could ever find Kiyoko? The woman did not want to be found, that much was obvious. Maybe she should return home. She could come back the next day, try one more time. Her mother would be angry for sure, but she would at least have her bed to sleep in.    
  
Yachi looked up and realized with a start where she was. Not much farther down that path was where Futakuchi’s gate was. She smiled. Maybe she would talk to him for a little while before she left.    
  
She walked down the path, the occasional twig crunching underfoot and the occasional petals fluttering down past her face. After another few minutes, the gate came into view. But when she got closer, the man standing in the place of the gate was clearly not Futakuchi.    
  
He was taller still, his robes a darker shade of emerald, bright against his pale skin and paler hair. His eyes were dark and seemed to look straight through her flesh and bone. If it did not seem like his natural face, Yachi would have thought he was glaring at her. When their eyes met, a jolt of fear shocked her spine.    
  
“Um, hello.” She squeaked out quietly.   
  
He grunted, just loud enough to be heard. Was that his response?    
  
“You-you’re not Futakuchi.” She added, almost instantly regretting her obvious observation.    
  
He looked back at her, his expression suddenly much softer.   
  
“No.” He said, his voice soft but deep, laced with pride. It was exactly the voice she imagined an iron gate would have. He was the outer gate, she supposed. Was his job to keep everyone in? That’s what it must be.    
  
“Ah.” Was all she could think of. What should she say? The silence was heavy, stifling, even as his gaze met hers.   
  
“Futakuchi.” He said, very quietly.    
  
“What- yes! He was the gate when I entered the forest. You know him?”   
  
He nodded. Yachi looked nervously, not sure what to say next. He was much harder to talk to than Futakuchi, yet he gave off no sense of cruel intentions. She looked up at him again. His face bore an expression that was...wistful? She thought maybe it was.    
  
“Are you close?”   
  
He nodded.    
  
“But...you can’t see him, can you? Because he is on the other side?”   
  
He looked away.    
  
How terribly tragic, she thought. To be right there next to someone very important to you, yet unable to see them.    
  
That was a lot like her and Kiyoko. They were both there. She was there, somewhere, in the forest. What was worse? To be able to know where they are but to never be able to reach them? Or to be within reach but searching blindly for someone that cannot be found?    
  
Yachi sighed sadly.    
  
She looked up one last time. “May I go through?”   
  
He nodded and stepped aside. The edge of the forest behind him became clear again.    
  
She walked through. The break was in sight. She was almost home again. Almost back to her familiarity. Almost back to her mother, and small rooms, and plum trees.    
  
“Miss Yachi?” She turned back at the sound of a surprised voice.    
  
There Futakuchi was.    
  
“Hello.” She gave him a small smile.    
  
“Aone let you through?”   
  
Aone? Oh. His friend. “Yes? Why are you surprised?”   
  
“I guess not. He is quite particular about who is allowed through, but you are just the kind of person he would like. You are a lot alike to a good friend of his. Cheerful, nice to people, short,” He listed counting on his fingers. Yachi flushed.    
  
Her face made him laugh.    
  
“But honestly, miss, what are you doing here?” He asked, his face hard and serious.    
  
“I am leaving. I shouldn’t have come here.” She said sadly. Saying it out loud made it feel more real.    
  
“I am disappointed, miss Yachi. I don’t let weak humans here. I don’t think I have let someone in here in decades. Are you telling me I made a mistake? Because you're acting like I did. And I don’t make mistakes. Not when it comes to defending this forest.”   
  
His words were as hard as iron. Behind him, the forest was so warped she could hardly tell the branches from the leaves. What was he talking about?    
  
“I’m sorry.” She wanted to turn away, but couldn’t. “I can’t do this. I have searched for days, and I can’t find her. I was silly to think someone like me could make someone like her fall in love.”   
  
“Does she deserve love?”   
  
“Of course she does!”    
  
“Then why are you making her wait?” What? Yachi looked back at him.    
  
“I-”   
  
“She told you to find her. She gave you a guide. And you are going to just abandon her? She has been denying people for centuries. It is just cruel to reject her the first time she chooses someone herself, don't you think?”   
  
Yachi stared at him in shock. Her heartbeat throbbed and echoed noisily through her brain. There was no way...she couldn’t be...was she really…   
  
“If I can wait a thousand years to see the one I love, you can search for a week. I would not have let you through if I didn't think you were capable.”   
  
“Has it really been that long since you saw Aone?” Was all she could think to say.    
  
He glanced, apprehensive. “How do you know it is Aone?”   
  
She doesn’t know. “It is, though?”   
  
He nodded, his gaze determinedly averted and his cheeks pink.   
  
“How do you know him if you are always apart?”   
  
“We were not always here. We used to be soldiers, you know?” He reached out his arm, his hands gripping the hilt of some imaginary sword only he could see. His wrist swung slowly back and forth. “Aone and I, as well as the rest of our unit, kept the rest of the army safe. We were once called the Iron Wall of Dateko!” he said proudly. “Until we weren’t. We could only hold so long. I have been here so long, yet those are the memories I recall most clearly.”   
  
He gazed at something Yachi could not see. “But for some reason, he and I couldn’t follow the rest of them. And that was okay. We hung around. It was fine. But, someday, somehow, we ended up here. I would imagine we became attached to an old gate still standing there. I couldn’t say. And here we are, a thousand years later. I doubt we will ever be free.”   
  
He just stared at the ground after that, saying nothing.    
  
“What if I gave him a message from you?” His gaze shot up.    
  
He mouthed the words, not unlike a fish. “You, you would do that?”   
  
“Sure! It’s no trouble at all. I don’t think I would still be here without you. It's the least I owe.”   
  
He smiled, a smile softer and gentler than his usual smirk. “Then, tell him...wow, it has been so long I don't even know what to say…” He took a slow breath. “Ask him how he is, then tell him that I am good -he always worried about me, you know- and that I love him. Very much. And that I miss him.”   
  
Yachi agreed, and passed the gate. When she turned around, the man standing there was once again the man she now had a name for.    
  
“Hello, Aone.” She smiled up at him, and at the sound of his name, his eyes widened and stared at her.    
  
“I have a message for you. From Futakuchi.”   
  
He didn’t react much, but he leaned forward a bit and his mouth softened into what she was a bright grin to him.    
  
“He wanted to say, he wanted to ask how you are. And he wanted you to know he is well, since you worry about him.” He nodded in agreement. “And he wants you to know he loves and misses you very much.”    
  
He was silent for a moment, then spoke softly. “Thank you.”   
  
“Of course. Did you want me to tell him something from you, too?”   
  
He nodded, but instead of saying anything, he reached up his sleeve. He produced a small envelope and held it out to her. Once she took it, he bowed deeply. Yachi reciprocated, and went back once more.    
  
She was met with Futakuchi’s expectant gaze. She silently handed over the envelope and turned to look at a small flower sprouting by the path as he read the letter.    
  
A gasp made her look up. He had a hand covering his mouth and tears slowly dripping down his cheeks as he read the letter. She turned away in a show of privacy.    
  
When he was finished, she walked back over. He took both of her hands in his own, icy cold as iron. After he let go, he crouched down to pluck the newly-bloomed flower from by his feet, then handed it to Yachi. It was a daisy.   
  
“Thank you. I could never repay you enough.”   
  
“It was nothing. Why wouldn’t I?”   
  
He smiled, his eyes still red. “You are too kind. I have endless faith that you will have success in your journey. Love will follow love and meet no matter the distance.”   
  
“Thank you. I wish you peace.”   
  
He smiled. “Miss Yachi? Give her your unwavering faith, and you know you have given her everything you have.”   
  
Yachi nodded, but did not return through the gate. As she was talking to the two of them, a thought came to her, and every second she mused over it, the more certain she became. And instead of returning to the forest, she went back. Back home.    
  
"Miss Yachi?" Futakuchi called. He looked confused.    
  
She smiled. "Trust me! This is what I need to do!"    
  
He didn't argue, just waved. She waved back, and followed the path back home.    
  
10\.    
  
By the time she reached the familiar plum trees of her home, the sun was setting, casting a golden hue across the field. The plum trees left vast shadows on the ground, so long they almost reached the forest.    
  
She stopped at once tree in particular, where her stool from two mornings ago still stood. This is where Kiyoko would be, she was sure. She could feel it from head to toe.    
  
But when she looked at her palm, the ink, which had been almost untarnished just an hour ago, was completely gone. Her knees wobbled, all of her strength draining away.    
  
Was she wrong? What did she do? Did Kiyoko Minot want her, and erased the magic? Maybe it went away because she left, and Kiyoko though she had given up and didn't care.    
  
Hot tears burned at Yachi's eyes but she couldn't bother to wipe them away. She had lost her chance. She was going to be stuck farming plums for the rest of-    
  
"Well, well." A familiar voice whispered. "Here you are."   
  
Yachi looked up in disbelief. There, right in front of her, was Kiyoko. She looked down at her palm, which was still blank.    
  
"W-what?" She sneaked out, eyes darting between her palm and Kiyoko.    
  
Kiyoko looked down at her. "Why are you so down?" She asked, concern lacing her voice.    
  
"The mark- it, it's gone! I thought..."   
  
Kiyoko laughed. "Silly, didn't I tell you? It'll be there as long as you need it. And you don't seem to need it anymore, do you?"   
  
She reached out, brushing away Yachi's stray tears.   
  
Yachi flung herself forward into Kiyoko, wrapping her arms around her in a hug with every ounce of her strength.    
  
"I'm so glad I found you!" She shouted, her voice muffled a little in Kiyoko's kimono.    
  
Yachi drew back with a frown. "I was going to ask you to marry me," she said. "But I just realized I have no money to afford a gift."   
  
Kiyoko's eyes widened in shock. Whether about the sudden proposal or about the lack of gifts, Yachi wasn't sure.    
  
"Money? I don't need money," she said, perplexed.    
  
"But I-"   
  
"And if you really want to get me a gift, it seems like you have quite the collection in your pockets."   
  
Yachi stuck her hand into her pocket, drawing back in shock when she remembered all of the gifts she had collected. She pulled her hand out and looked at everything she had.    
  
She could make a gift of this. She set them down, untying the cord bracelet and placing it next to the rest of them on the stool.    
  
She gave Kiyoko the shriveled black coin first. "So you know you mean more to me than money," she explained.   
  
Next, the plum. "From somebody who knows how to find true love," She said, thinking of Akaashi.    
  
She gave her both the cherry blossom and the red cord bracelet next. "From a fortune God. For good fortune."   
  
Then the wood carving with the fox. "This one promises some good dinner," She says, and they both laugh.    
  
Last from her pile comes the daisy. "For faith."   
  
Then she suddenly remembers her last gift. She tugs the clip from her hair, feeling her bangs fall into her face. She clips it into Kiyoko's hair. It's a little uneven, but she doesn't seem to care. Kiyoko was just staring at her with shock. Then, her eyes filled with tears, and Yachi panicked.    
  
"Did you not want these? I will get you something else if you like!"   
  
Kiyoko shakes her head. "No. They're perfect. You're perfect. I just can't believe how kind you are."   
  
Yachi shakes her head. "It's not kindness if it's for you. It's just the only thing I want to do. I guess that makes me a little selfish, but if you like it then I guess it works."   
  
Kiyoko cups Yachi's face and slowly pulls her in for a kiss. Yachi doesn't pull away and closes the last inch herself.    
  
It's the best thing she has ever felt, though she's sure it couldn't be half as wonderful with anybody else. 

  
  
  


Without any doubt, she knew that Kiyoko was the woman she wanted to spend the rest of her life with. When they walked back to the forest, hand-in-hand, she never looked back once.    
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! Any comments are wonderful :D


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